Olive Branch Petition

Most Gracious Sovereign: We, your Majesty’s faithful subjects in the Colonies of….
Attached to your Majesty’s person, family, and government, with all devotion that
principle and affection can inspire; connected with Great Britain by the strongest ties that
can unite societies, and deploring every event that tends in any degree to weaken them,
we solemnly assure your Majesty, that we not only most ardently desire the former
harmony between her and these Colonies may be restored, but that a concord may be
established between them upon so firm a basis as to perpetuate its blessings,
uninterrupted by any future dissensions to succeeding generations in both countries,
and to transmit your Majesty’s name to posterity, adorned with that signal and lasting
glory that has attended the memory of those illustrious personages, whose virtues and
abilities have extricated states from dangerous convulsions, and by securing happiness
to others have erected the most noble and durable monuments to their own fame.
We therefore beseech your Majesty, that your royal authority and influence may
be graciously interposed to procure us relief from our afflicting fears and jealousies,
occasioned by the system before-mentioned, and to settle peace through every part of
our Dominions, with all humility submitting to your Majesty’s wise consideration,
whether it may not be expedient, for facilitating those important purposes, that your
Majesty be pleased to direct some mode, by which the united applications of your
faithful Colonists to the Throne, in pursuance of their common counsels may be
improved into a happy and permanent reconciliation; and that, in the meantime,
measures may be taken for preventing the further destruction of the lives of your
Majesty’s subjects; and that such statutes as more immediately distress any of your
Majesty’s Colonies may be repealed… .